Fruit-jar cover.



No. 672,049. Patented Apr. I6, |90|.

' W. S. WEIR.

FRUIT JAR COVER.

(Application med s'pt.- "7. 1900.)

TM: wams Prrzns co.. PNoraLrmo. WASHINGTON. n, C.

NITED Srfrns PATENT Cerros.

WILLIAM S. WEIR, OF MONMOUTH, ILLINOIS.

FRUIT-JAR COVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 672,049, dated. April 16, 1901. Application filed September 7,1900. Serial No. 29,320. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LWILLIAM S.WEIR,a citizen of the United States, residing at Monmouth,in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain .new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Jar Covers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in fruit-jar covers,and has .for its primary object the provision of simple, cheap, andelfective fastening means whereby the cover of a fruit-- jar may be instantly and effectively sealed as against accidental opening or unsealed when it is desired to remove the contents of the jar. This object is attained by the devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fruitjar having a fastening device applied thereto embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in both figures of the drawings.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A indicates a jar of any suitablc shape or dimensions, B a cover therefor, and C a spring-bail pivotally secured to the jar in the usual manner. On the top of the cover is a pair of bearings D, adapted to receive trunnions E, which project from opposite sides of a bell-crank lever F, at the angle thereof, the short arm of said lever being provided with a perforation through which the bail C passes, While the longer spring-arm terminates in a free end, Which is utilized as a handle for manipulating it, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. Preferably the bearings D take the form of a pair of lugs having in their top sides shallow depressions for receiving the trunnions E, said lugs being located a sufficient distance apart to leave clearance to admit the elbow or angle of the lever. The trunnions E are of small diameter as compared with the radius of the short arm 'of the lever and also as compared with the curvature of the depressions in which they fit, so that in the process of locking and unlocking the cover the trunnions slide'but little on their bearings, the friction being more in the nature of a rolling than a sliding friction. As also indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, the bell-crank lever is attached to and carried by the bail, which latter is of such height above the trunnion bearings on the cover that Whenever the lever is locked upon said bearings the bail must be sprung in order to pass the dead-center, and such tension is relied upon to firmly hold the cover in position upon the jar. When the fastening device is not in operation, it hangs, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2; but when it is desired to seal the jar the bail and lever are swung up until the trunnions come to their seats on the bearings D, as illustrated in Fig. 2, after which sufficient pressure is applied to the free end of the lever to depress the same against the tension of the bail, and thus cause it to be swung,\vith the short arm of the lever,over the trunnions and past the dead-center between the trunnions and the pivoted ends of' the bail, When the tension of the bail Will serve to hold the lever in locked position, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the free end of the lever in this position now serving as a stop to the further rotation of the lever. Wheneverl it is desired to open the jar, it is simply necessary to force up the free end of the lever until the bail passes the dead-center, when it, together with the lever, may be swung down out of the Way to permit the removal of the cover.

This fastening device is exceedingly simple and effective. The lever is made in one piece,

of metal, and is therefore exceedinglyv cheap, and it may be quickly and` readily manipulated to either seal or unseal the jar.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim), and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with ajar, its cover,and a spring-bail pivoted to said jar, of a bellcrank lever through one arm of which said bail passes, and trunnions on said lever at the angle thereof adapted to seat upon said cover, the parts being so constructed and arranged that in the process of locking the cover ythe bail passes the dead-center, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a jar, a spring-bail `pivoted thereto, and a cover provided with open bearing-sockets at the center thereof, of a bell-crank lever through one arm of Which passes the bail and trunnions on said lever at the angle thereof adapted to seat in the bearings on said cover, the parts being so con- IOO structed and arranged that in the process of locking the cover the bail passes the deadcenter, substantially as described.

3. The combination with ajarand its cover, of a spring-bail pivoted to the jar, a bell-crank lever through the short arm of which the bail passes, trunnions carried by the bell-crank lever at the angle thereof, bearings carried by the cover and adapted to receive the trunnions, and a stop for limiting the movement of the bell-crank lever in the process of locking the cover, said stop being arranged to permit the bail to pass the dead-center, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a jarand its cover, of a spring-bail pivoted to thejar, a bell-crank lever through the short arm of which the bail passes, trunnions carried by the lever at the angle thereof, lugs projecting from the cover and having depressions forming bearings for the trunnions, said lugs being located a suflcient distance apart to provide between them clearance for the elbow of the lever, 'and means for permitting the point of connection between the bail and lever to move past the deadcenter in the process of locking the cover, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a jarand its cover, of a spring-bail pivoted to the jar, a bell-crank lever through the short arm of which the bail passes, trunnions carried by the level' at the angle thereof, said trunnions being of small diameter as compared with the radius of the short arm of the lever, curved depressions on top of the cover in which the trunnions bear, the curvature of said depressions being greater than that of the trunnions, and a stop for arresting the movement of the lever when in the process of locking the cover the bail has passed the dead-center, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a jar and its cover, of a spring-bail pivoted to the jar, a bell-crank lever through the short arm of which the bail passes, trunnions carried by the lever at the angle thereof, lugs projecting from the cover and having depressions forming bearings for the trunnions, said lugs being located a suiicient distance apart to provide between them clearance for the elbow of the lever, and means for permitting the point of connection be# tween the bail and lever to move past the deadcenter in the process of locking the cover, the long arm of the lever being adapted to contact with the cover and thereby form a stop for limiting the movement of the lever, substantially as described.

VILLIAM S. WEIR.

Witnesses:

J. E. MALEY, C. S. RICHARDS. 

